Grapefruit Marmalade Recipe
This grapefruit marmalade recipe takes only 20-30 minutes to make, and is delicious. It has a stronger, more "zingy" flavor than anything you're likely to find in the supermarket.
If you're looking for recipes to make homemade food gifts or homemade gifts in a jar, then this is a great one to start with!
This particular homemade jam recipe evolved when I tried " Margaret's Marvellous Microwave Method " for making strawberry jam, but using some grapefruits from my parent's garden. To my delight, the marmalade turned out very tasty.
Grapefruit Marmalade Recipe
Ingredients
Makes 3 cups of marmalade
- 3 medium-sized grapefruit, pink or yellow
- 2 cups (roughly 1lb) white sugar, or a weight equal to the peeled weight of the grapefruits.
You can use special jam sugar if you like, but there's really no need, because grapefruit has plenty of pectin in it. (Pectin is the stuff that makes jam set.)
By the way, some marmalade recipes use water... not this one. I think you get a more flavorsome marmalade without dilution.
Method
Some grapefruit marmalade recipes require you to soak the rinds overnight to soften them up. I've found that 20 minutes in the microwave softens them up just fine.
- Use a peeler to peel the thin, yellow, outer layer (zest) from the grapefruits. Slice the zest into thin strips and put it aside.
- Remove seeds and white pith from the grapefruits. Make sure you do a good job getting rid of the white pith, because it tastes bitter.
- Chop the juicy bits of the grapefruits finely and put them to a large, microwave-safe bowl (3L/3quarts or bigger) along with the zest. Depending on the size of your grapefruits, the juicy bits should come to about 2 cups worth.
- Add an equal amount of sugar , i.e. one cup sugar for each cup of chopped grapefruit.
- Microwave on high for 20 minutes , uncovered, stirring every few minutes. Placing the bowl on a dinner plate will make it easier to put in/out of the microwave when it's hot. By the way, if you used yellow grapefruit, you will see the color change to a beautiful deep orange at about the 10 minute mark.
- To test whether marmalade has reached setting point , smear a little bit onto a cold plate and let it cool to test the consistency. If it's not thick enough yet, then microwave it for another 5 minutes or so.
- While marmalade is in microwave, prepare some clean jars by pouring boiling water over them to sterilise them.
- When marmalade is finished, ladle it into the jars , up to 1/2 inch from the top. Put lids on jars, and turn jars upside-down for 5 minutes to seal and sterilise the lids. Then turn upright and let cool.
If your marmalade is going to be a gift, then dress it up nicely with some colored fabric/tissue and a ribbon :-)
Will it work with an old microwave?
I make this recipe using a fairly modern 1100W microwave, but it also works with older, lower-power microwaves. Here's what one reader had to say:
"Hey, I made your marmalade last week in a very old (one of the 1st models out) microwave. It was awesome. I did have to add an extra 1/4 cup of sugar to the mix. I love the simplicity of it. None of this waiting 24 hours to soak business! YEAH Right On!!!"
~ Anne, AUSTRALIA
"P.S. I made another batch with added mandarins, as my neighbours tree is full of them, but this time I boiled it on the stove. Very nice taste."
Grapefruit Marmalade Recipe Variations
You can also add a mix of other citrus to your marmalade. Thanks to our readers for sending in these recipes!
Mixed fruit marmalade 1
"Thanks for the cute and simple grapefruit marmalade recipe! I made a mixed fruit marmalade using your 1:1 peeled fruit to sugar ratio.
- First, I cooked all the strips of zest in three changes of boiling water to minimize bitterness.
- Then I chopped up all the flesh of the tangarines, oranges, lemons, pink grapefruit, and Meyer lemons and mixed in the equal amount of sugar (it was about 8 cups.)
- I boiled that for over an hour and then mixed in the boiled zest.
It turned out a pretty color from the pink grapefruit and it does taste like marmalade!
~ Kathy
Mixed fruit marmalade 2
"I love marmalade! I make a mixed fruit variety.
I mix orange, lemon and grape fruit. I peel and slice it very thinly then boil it till soft, throw the water, add the flesh of the 3 fruits and an equal amount of raw sugar microwave on high for 20 minutes. Then I pour in sterilised jars.
~ Paulette
Related Pages
I hope you enjoyed this grapefruit marmalade recipe as much as I do! Here are some other recipes I think you might enjoy:
Yum!
